A PROFILE IN COURAGE

In a word, his father calls him inspirational, his basketball coach courageous. At an age when most kids are anything but, Drew Shulman describes himself as mature.

The 16-year-old Shulman, a junior at Elk Grove, was born without a left hand. Many people, including family members, gave him little to no chance of playing sports. Shulman proved them all wrong.

The 5-foot-9-inch, 170-pound Shulman plays three varsity sports for Elk Grove: football, basketball and baseball. He's not a superstar--he doesn't even start for any of the teams--but just making the rosters was an accomplishment in itself.

"I really have to prove to everyone that I can do these things," Shulman said. "People don't understand that I can do what I can do."

After Shulman was born, his parents, Nancy and Randy, found out Drew's birth defect was hereditary--a distant third cousin also had been born without a left hand. Drew also was examined for heart problems, which are common with people born without appendages, at a genetic counseling center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

"Thankfully, he didn't have a heart problem," Nancy Shulman said. "But he still had a lot to deal with growing up."

No one expected Shulman to compete at the high school level in any sport. But with his work ethic and desire, Shulman moved through the ranks, earning playing time and recognition. In football he received an award for most courageous athlete in the Mid-Suburban League. Elk Grove football coach Bruce Bazsali gave Shulman the annual Pride and Desire Award.

"He'll probably win it again next season," Bazsali said. "He's just got such a huge heart."

Shulman does not look like an athlete. He's lean and short, and seems more likely to sit in front of a computer than compete on the hardwood. His coaches say he's slow and unathletic. Yet he finds a way to succeed.

Much of his success can be attributed to his parents, who worked hard to not be overprotective.

"He had to learn to do things for himself," Nancy Shulman said. "We stood back and let him figure it out for himself."

Sports, especially basketball, did not come easy for Shulman. Starting in 4th grade, he practiced shooting four hours a day at a court across the street from his house. He used his left arm as a guide to balance the ball in his right shooting hand. He discovered that he could pass the ball in the same fashion and learned to pass with his left arm.

On game nights, Shulman said other teams tried to make him use his left arm. After years of practice, he developed a solution. When "going left," Shulman pushes the ball with his right hand and runs under it, enabling him to continue dribbling.

"He's accomplished more than I thought he would," Randy Shulman said. "You don't see too many one-handed basketball players."

Those who think Shulman isn't good enough to play at the varsity level are wrong. Nothing was given to Shulman--he's earned his position as one of Elk Grove's three-sport athletes.

"I told him that he made the basketball team because he's one of the best 15 players in the school," basketball coach Steve Messer said. "He's just a fireplug."

Shulman has made his mark more on the practice court than in game action. The team voted him best practice player and best screener, distinctions Shulman endears. He doesn't get much playing time for the 14-5 Grenadiers--the most points he's scored in a game is two--but Shulman uses his time on the bench to fire up teammates.

"I go wild on the bench," Shulman said. "I try to make sure everyone is having a good time."

In the spring Shulman will begin his second year on the varsity baseball team. Until last year he batted from the left side but then found he gained a better follow-through when batting right-handed.

Choking up on the bat's handle 3 inches from the knob with his right hand, Shulman uses his left arm for support and guidance. He doesn't have much power, but he does make solid contact, slapping the ball into open gaps.

Shulman spent hour after hour learning to catch and throw the ball using the same hand in the same motion, just like Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jim Abbott.

Coach Greg Grana said Shulman, a left-fielder, will get significant playing time this spring and should be a starter his senior year.

"He's the type of kid I call `Glue,' " Grana said. "He helps the team stay together. He's one of the kids you have to have on your team because he keeps people together."

Shulman said his best sport is football, in which he plays defensive back and kicker. Bazsali said he expects Shulman to start next season at both positions.

Shulman also has excelled in the classroom. After falling in love with the University of North Carolina, Shulman raised his cumulative grade-point average by a full point--to 4.53 on an accelerated scale--in an effort to meet Tar Heels' standards. Odds are Shulman will succeed again.

"I've worked hard to succeed at everything," he said. "I've lived up to what I wanted to do."